Mother Teresa once said,
“The fruit of love is service, which is compassion in action.”
– Mother Teresa
I think that’s a powerful idea… that the fruit of love is COMPASSION in ACTION.
The Big Debate
I don’t know if you heard about this… but recently there was a big debate.
It made news and people were talking about it on talk radio shows. Like most debates, people were picking sides and, like most debates, people were getting pretty emotional.
I don’t know why, when it comes to debates, that people can’t discuss things in civil terms. I don’t understand why people can’t follow the simple, agreed upon terms, when it comes to a debate.
My daughter has been learning about debates in social studies this year. Learning about the rules for debate. And when she heard the debate she said, those guys are not following the rules of debate!
In case you somehow missed it, I’ll catch you up real quick.
On one side you had JJ Watt, a big time player for the Houston Texans. And on the other side of the debate was Brandon Dunn, their nose tackle.
As they sat on the sidelines during last week’s football game, they were struck by how quiet it was due to the absence of fans. The only thing they could hear was the Goodyear Blimp overhead. And the question they were debating was this… “Does the Goodyear Blimp FLY or does it HOVER?”
What’s wrong? Was there another debate this past week that you were thinking about?
JJ Watt argued that blimps fly. But Brandon Dunn was arguing that blimps don’t fly, they just hover. And they got into a pretty heated debate about it!
Disagreement and Division
We live in a world that doesn’t really know how to talk about things peacefully.
We live in a world that says…
If we disagree we have to be divided.
If we think differently we have to be enemies.
I know political tensions are high and there’s an important election coming up, but politics aside, this is descriptive of our world at large right now.
We can pick the topic, we can take opposing sides, and it doesn’t matter if the issue is the politics or blimps, we can get into a heated debate about it. This happens in our country, this happens in our work, this happens in our homes, and this even happens in the church.
And the big question that looms large is simply, “Is this really the way it has to be?”
“Can’t we all just get along?”
“Do we have to fight about everything?”
OR…
“Is there another way?”
Finding Another Way Forward
The good news is that there is another way. And the good news for those of us who follow Jesus is that he taught us and he showed us how to live in this broken world filled with so much anger, injustice, and conflict. It’s a different way to live. But if we can find our way onto this NARROW path, it leads to life.
In Luke 6 Jesus is teaching his disciples, his followers, how to live differently in this world.
They very much believed in an eye for an eye kind of justice system.
They believed that people should get what they deserve. That if someone hurts you, then you should hurt them back.
They believed that you had every right to be mad at the person who did you wrong. That you were justified in being angry with those who are ungrateful to you for all you’ve done for them.
And that whenever someone cuts you off in traffic, you have every right to give them an ugly look when you drive by.
And whenever they say something you don’t like, you have every right to interrupt them and speak your mind.
Love + Compassion
So then Jesus comes along and he seems to suggest that in the Kingdom of Heaven, things are different. Listen to what Jesus says…
“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you.
“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.
“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” – Luke 6.27-36
Underline, highlight, screenshot, and remember that last line. Jesus says…
“You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.”
– Jesus
But, What If…
But what about those who hate you and curse you and say mean things about you?
You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.
But what about those who hurt you and take things from you that rightfully belong to you?
You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.
But what about those who owe me and haven’t paid me back what I’m due?
You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.
But what about those who are unthankful, unkind, and down right wicked?
You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.
But what does that mean? To be compassionate?
Great question…
Compassion, to be compassionate, literally means to exercise concern. To show mercy. To suffer with or alongside someone. To stand ready to help. In other words, to be compassionate is to DEMONSTRATE LOVE.
To MAKE a DIFFERENCE in the life of the one who is IN NEED.
Flights to Nowhere
One of the headlines that caught my attention recently wasn’t about the upcoming election or the different things people are debating right now… it was a story about how some airlines in other countries, places like Taiwan, Japan, and Australia, are selling tickets to flights that land in the same place that they depart from. And apparently these flights are selling out!
Travelers have missed the experience of flying so much that they’ll gladly pay for a flight that takes off and lands in the exact same place! They call them, “Flights to nowhere.”
I don’t know about you, but I feel like you can continue to live your life the way the world wants you to live your life, but it’s like boarding a flight to nowhere.
You can live your life being mad at those who hurt you and demanding your rights, that you be repaid, and that you get your way… but it’s going to leave you at exactly the same place you’re in right now.
You can live your life being mad at people, being frustrated by the world, and being caught up in getting your own way… but that’s not the way of Jesus.
Jesus said, You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.
Love in Action
What does it mean to be compassionate just as your Father in Heaven is compassionate?
It means loving those who love you and loving those who do NOT love you.
It means that we see people differently, that we see every person no matter who they are, what they’ve done, or how much they annoy us as someone created by God, in the image of God, for the glory of God.
It means that we are moved to compassionate action for others.
It means that we love with a love that says, there’s nothing you could ever do that would make me love you less. And I can love you with that kind of love, or I can at least try to love you with that kind of love, because that’s the kind of love that God has loved me with.
This kind of love leads us to always look for ways to SERVE others. True love always asks… How can I help? Because love, real love, is always demonstrated. This is compassion. It’s love in action.
Real love isn’t just communicated, it’s demonstrated. It isn’t just spoken, it’s shared.
Loving Like Jesus
What’s one way you can demonstrate the love of God to someone this week?
Maybe you can demonstrate the love of God to your wife. Or to your husband. Or to your kids. Maybe to a coworker. Or a friend. Maybe you can demonstrate the love of God to someone who would never expect it.
HOW?
Do something for them that they cannot do for themselves.
After all, that’s what Christ did for us. Paul said it this way… “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5.8
Jesus could have just said, “God loves you.” But he didn’t. Jesus showed us just how much God loves us through the cross. May we also remember that we too are called to love others not just with our words but through self sacrificing love. Through compassionate action.
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